Talking doll



June 5, 1951 I M. LEVINE 2,555,800

TALKING DOLL Filed Nov. 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l w ea,

44 1 55 i M; 2 1a 42 1 v I INVENTOR.

MORRIS LEvmE: 50 BY June 5, 1951 LEVINE 2,555,800 TALKING DOLL FiledNov. 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k Lull w INVENTOR.

MORRIS LEVINE Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STTES P TENT OFFICE TALKINGDOLL Morris-Levine, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 19, 1949, Serial No. 128,333

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a talking, animated doll and has for itsprincipal object the mounting of a phonograph within the body of thedoll, the operating mechanism of said phonograph producing not onlysound but also movements of the dolls mouth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby thedolls head can be raised and lowered under control of the phonographmechanism.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of novel controlmeans for the phonograph mechanism.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, ref erence will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a full length frontal elevation of the doll embodying theinvention.

2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1..

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on theline 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view online l i of .Fig. 3, certainmechanisms in the head of the doll being shown. in this figure however.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View of the phonograph startstop mechanism on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a frontal exterior view of the dolls head and illustrates thehinged mouth of the doll.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 2-4 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View of the phonograph start stopmechanism on line 8-3 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a :faceview of a certain cam and. its cooperating parts in thephonograph mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the dolls on line lil-lll of Fig. 4 andillustrates certain mechanism not present in the prior figures.

Fig. 11 is a plan View of the phonograph turn table and a cooperatingcam ring secured thereon.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cam ring and itscooperating parts.

Referring to Fig. l, the doll I5 shown therein is for purposes ofillustration only, any stand-up or sit-down hollow bodied doll beingequally well adapted to house the invention.

As shown in Fig. 4, the doll is comprises a body portion having asuitably formed covering or frame it of plaster or the like and a headportion having a frame ll of. similar. material.

2 The back of the body frame Ii! is provided with a large opening ii andthe top of the head frame It with an opening 28, said openings servingas doorways to the mechanism of the doll. At its upper end body frame isnarrowed to form a circular neck, at which point the frame is pro--vided with a smooth, straight up and down por-- tion 2! between upperand lower annular ridges 22 and 23 respectively, said up and downportion being loosely engaged by the circular, turned-in lower end 24 ofthe head frame ll.

Within the body portion there is secured as by glued wedges 2b asubstantially square sheet metal box 2i: (Figs. 2, 3 and 4:) having anopening 2'; to complement opening 18 in body frame it, and having ahorizontal partition 28 supported therein by angle brackets Abovepartition 28 are mounted'the phonograph turn table 3| and pickup arm 32,the. former on a drive shaft 35-5 projecting downward through a bearing3% fastened to the partition, and the latter on a post 35 projectingdownward through said partition. After passing through bearing 36, thedrive shaft 32 extends downward into a bearing 36 (Fig. 3) on the floorof box 26 and carries midway between said bearings a bevel gear illmeshing with a second bevel gear 33 on the shaft es of the drivemechanism M.

It may be pointed out at this time that any type of phonograph can beused, the straight mechanical, the all electric or, as preferred, themechanical drive, electrical pickup type; and it is this latter typethat is indicated more or less diagrammatically in the drawings, suchdevices being well-known andthe details of their constructionnot beingrequired for an understanding of the invention.

The mechanical drive mechanism 4! is indicated by a box in Fig. 3 andhas the usual handle 32 projecting through the right side of the doll.Rotation of drive shaft 33 is controlled by a pawl 43 (Figs. 3 and 5)having a handle M. projecting through an opening in the right side ofthe doll. and tensioned by a spring i5 into engagement with a ratchetwheel 416 on the drive shaft.

Electrical energy for the sound reproducing portion of the device isprovided by batteries it indicated in the drawings by a box, the wiresfrom said batteries first, however, having a switch'48 (Fig. 8)connected therein. Switch 43 is of the usual toggle type having a fingerpiece 59 projecting upward into an opening in the handle i l-of pawl 43.

The construction is such that if handle 44 be manipulated to move pawl43 out of engagement withratchet wheel 56, the switch is closed andcurrent flows, said switch remaining closed and holding the pawl out ofengagement against the tension of spring 45 until handle i l is againmanipulated to turn off the phonograph. The wires from pickup arm 32 arepassed down through hollow post 35 into the electrical reproductionmeans 5! of the phonograph, said means then being connected by wiresencased in conduit 52 with a loud speaker 53 mounted on an angle bar 54in the head of the doll.

In order to provide for opening and closing the dolls mouth as thephonograph is operating, the mouth comprises a suitably formed segment55 (Figs. 6 and 7) pivoted on studs 56 in an opening in the head frameI! and has a pivot block 51 secured, thereto.

Pivotally secured in block 5'! is the end of a link 58 (Fig. 7)pivotally connected at its other end to the top end of a long downwardlyextending lever Ell pivoted at B! in a bracket 62 and engaging a, cam 63(Figs. 3 and 9) mounted on a shaft 64 in the bottom of box 23. Shaft 64is journalled in blocks 65 and carries a bevel gear 66 meshing withbevel gear 3i hereinbefore described. The construction is such thatwhenever the phonograph is running the shaft 6:3 is turning. Link 69 isdrawn into contact with cam 63 by a spring 51 (Fig. 3) and at its lowerend is guided in a slotted bracket 68 (Fig. 9).

It will be seen that as cam E53 rotates it will rock the lever 60 aboutits pivot 5i and through link 58 will open and close mouth 55.

In order to reciprocate the dolls head up and down when a particularrecord I is being played, for example, a comic record, there is provideda cam ring 1| (Figs. 11 and 12) which may be clamped on or removed fromthe'periphery of the turn table 3! by means of a screw 12 joining thetwo out-turned ends of said ring. Ring H is of equal height throughoutits periphery except for a hump 13 which is made as large as possible,its size being limited by the distance between the turn table and thelower edge of the pickup arm.

A follower roller M is pivoted to the end of a lever 15 pivoted andlaterally guided in a bracket 15, said roller being pressed against thering by a spring 11. Pivoted at 18 to lever l are a pair of long links89 which at their upper ends (Fig. are connected to pivot blocks 8! onthe underside of angle bar 54.

It will be seen that when hump E3 of ring ll forces roller 74 upward,the head of the doll will also move upward, the ring 24 (Fig. 10) at thelower end of the head sliding on the neck portion 2! between ridges 22and 23.

It will be noticed (Fig. 4) that link 5'! is tilted downwardly slightlyto take into account the raising of the head, and also that the wireconduit 52 is provided with a length of flexible cable for the samereason.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modification coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is: v

1; In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame, aseparate head frame mounted on said body frame, a box mounted withinsaid body frame, a phonograph mounted within said box and a loud speakerfor said phonograph mounted in said head frame, said phonographincluding a turn table, a drive shaft for said turn table, a mechanicaldrive mechanism, :an electrically controlled pick-up arm, a ratchetwheel on said drive shaft and a pawl having a handle projecting throughthe dolls side to engage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, a secondshaft driven by said drive mechanism, a cam on said second shaft, apivoted lever extending from a point adjacent said cam up into the headof the doll, a spring to maintain said lever in engagement with saidcam, a mouth piece pivoted below its center in' an opening in the headframe and a link connecting said lever with said mouth piece.

2. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame, aseparate head frame mounted on said body frame, a box mounted withinsaid body frame, a phonograph mounted within said box and a loud speakerfor said phonograph mounted in said head frame, said phonographincluding a turn table, a drive shaft for said turn table, a mechanicaldrive mechanism, an electrically controlled pick-up arm, a ratchet wheelon said drive shaft and a pawl having a handle projecting through thedolls side to engage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, a secondshaft 7 driven by said drive mechanism, a cam on said second shaft, apivoted lever extending from a point adjacent said cam up into the headof the doll, a spring to maintain said lever in engagement with saidcam, a mouth piece pivoted below its center in an opening in the headframe and a link connecting said lever with said mouth piece, said camhaving a high dwell to rock said lever and thereby to rock said mouthpiece open.

3. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame, aseparate head frame mounted on said body frame, a box mounted withinsaid body frame, a phonograph mounted within said box and a loud speakerfor said phonograph mounted in said head frame, said phonographincluding a turn table, a drive shaft for said turn table, a mechanicaldrive mechanism, an electrically controlled pick-up arm, a ratchet wheelon said drive shaft and a pawl having a handle projecting through thedolls side to engage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, a cam ringhaving its ends turned out, a screw passing through said turned out endsto clamp said ring on said turn table, a high dwell on said ring, apivoted lever, a roller carried by said lever and riding on the camsurface of said ring, a spring to maintain said roller in contact withsaid ring, a pair of arms pivoted to said lever, and extending upwardinto the head of the doll, and a cross bar in said head to which saidpair of levers are connected, said high dwell causing said head to beraised relativeto the body.

4. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame taperingin its upper part to a neck portion, a vertical slidewayon said neckportion between upper and lower annular ridges, a separate head framehaving its lower portion formed into a ring engaging said slideway, abox mounted within said body frame, a phonograph mounted within saidbox, a loud speaker for said phonograph mounted in said head frame, andmeans interconnecting said phonograph and said head frame for causingsaid head frame to be raised on said slideway. V V

5. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame taperingin its upper part to a neck portion, a vertical slideway .011 said neckportion between upper and lower annular ridges,

a separate head frame having its lower portion formed into a ringengaging said slideway, a box mounted within said body frame, aphonograph mounted within said box, a loud speaker for said phonographmounted in said head frame, said phonograph including a turn table, adrive shaft for said turn table, a mechanical drive mechanism, anelectrically controlled pick-up arm, a ratchet wheel on said driveshaft, a pawl having a handle projecting through the dolls side toengage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, and means connected to saidhead frame and projected into said body frame and operated by said turntable for causing said head frame to be raised and lowered on saidslideway.

6. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame taperingin its upper part to a neck portion, a vertical slideway on said neckportion between upper and lower annular ridges, a separate head framehaving its lower portion formed into a ring engaging said slideway, abox mounted within said body frame, a phonograph mounted within said boxand a loud speaker for said phonograph mounted in said head frame, saidphonograph including a turn table, a drive shaft for said turn table, amechanical drive mechanism, an electrically controlled pick-up arm, aratchet wheel on said drive shaft and a pawl having a handle projectingthrough the dolls side to engage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, acam ring having its ends turned out, a screw passing through said turnedout ends to clamp said ring on said turn table, a high dwell on saidring, a pivoted lever, a roller carried by said lever and riding on thecam surface of said ring, a spring to maintain said roller in contactwith said ring, a pair of arms pivoted to said lever and extendingupward into the head of the doll, and a cross bar in said head to whichsaid pair of levers are connected, said high dwell causing said head tomove upward on said slideway.

7. In a talking, animated doll the combination of a body frame taperingin its upper part to a neck portion, a vertical slideway on said neckportion between upper and lower annular ridges, a separate head framehaving its lower portion formed into a ring engaging said slideway, abox mounted within said body frame, a phonograph mounted within said boxand a loud speaker for said phonograph mounted in said head frame, saidphonograph including a turn table, a drive shaft for said turn table, amechanical drive mechanism, an electrically controlled pick-up arm, aratchet wheel on said drive shaft and a pawl having a handle projectingthrough the dolls side to engage said wheel and stop said drive shaft, acam ring having its ends turned out, a screw passing through said turnedout ends to clamp said ring on said turn table, a high dwell on saidring, a pivoted lever, a roller carried by said lever and riding on thecam surface of said ring, a spring to maintain said roller in contactwith said ring, a pair of arms pivoted to said lever and extendingupward into the head of the doll, and a cross bar in said head to whichsaid pair of levers are connected, said high dwell causing said head tomove upward on said slideway, a second shaft driven by said drivemechanism, a cam on said second shaft, a pivoted lever extending from apoint adjacent said cam up into the head of the doll, a spring tomaintain said lever in engagement with said cam, a mouth piece pivotedbelow its center in an opening in the head frame and a link connectingsaid lever with said mouth piece.

MORRIS LEVINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS N umber

